Meaty mushroom sauce over chewy noodles doused in copious amounts of chili sauce.

Garlic Mushroom Noodles with Chili Sauce

Serves 4

We eat a lot of garlic. While in the States, this meant buying 5 - 6 heads of fresh garlic a week. We are only 2 people but, again, we love garlic. In Korea, I can buy beautiful whole peeled garlic which makes garlic usage possibly even more prominent in our diet. This dish is no exception! The garlic adds a deep savoriness to the meaty mushrooms and umami from the soy and oyster sauce. The savoriness of the sauce is heightened by the light spice and the aromatics from the chili sauce. Once mixed, the combination of the mushrooms and chili sauce make for a satisfying, slurpable meal.

Ingredients

Chili Oil

0.50 cinnamon stick

1 small star anise

5g (1 t) ginger, minced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 dried chilis, chopped finely with scissors

1.5 T gochugaru

0.5 t ground Sichuan peppercorn

63g (5 T) vegetable oil

Chili Sauce

1 recipe of homemade chili oil

4 t rice or Chinese black vinegar

4 t soy sauce

1 t sugar

1 t sesame oil

0.50 t dashida - optional

0.25 t kosher salt

Mushrooms

4.5 T oyster sauce

2 T soy sauce

1.5 T mirin

1.5 t fish sauce

0.50 t dashida – optional

0.25 t kosher salt

42g (3 T) butter

680g (1.5 lbs) King oyster mushrooms, sliced 1cm thick

0.75 t ground coriander

0.75 t ground black pepper

0.50 t ground cumin

25 garlic cloves, minced

10g (2 t) ginger, minced

5 cheongyang or serrano chilis, sliced

4 scallions, sliced - tops reserved for garnish

300ml (1.5 c) water

Finishing

4 portions fresh noodles

Reserved scallion greens

Recipe Know-how

Chili Sauce

1.      In a small heat safe bowl add all of the chili oil ingredients EXCEPT the oil.

I like to use a metal container for this step but, a sturdy ceramic bowl is good also.

• Heat the oil in a small pot until smoking.

• Carefully pour the oil over the ingredients. Stir gently and allow to sit 1 hour.

2.      Add chili sauce ingredients stirring well to combine. Set aside.

The cinnamon and star anise do not need to be removed until serving.

Finishing

3.      Begin bringing a large pot of water to a boil for the noodles.

Continue on while the water heats.

4.      In a small bowl combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, mirin, fish sauce, dashida and salt. Stir until well combined. Set aside.

5.      In a large saute pan over medium-high heat the butter until foaming.

• Add the mushrooms and cook until well browned.

You do not need to add salt to the mushrooms.

• Add the coriander, cumin and pepper. Saute for 30 seconds.

• Add the ginger, garlic and chilis. Saute 30 seconds longer.

• Add the premixed sauce. Cook 30 seconds stirring often.

• Add the water and bring to a boil uncovered.

• Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the mushrooms are tender and the liquid thickens slightly.

• Keep warm while cooking noodles.

6.      Divide the noodles between the serving bowls topping with the mushrooms.

7.      Serve, passing the chili sauce at the table.